Jesse Marsch, sacked by Leeds just one week ago, is in the race to become Southampton manager. This is at the same time that US Soccer may miss out on hiring Marsch for the USMNT job.

Nathan Jones’s short three-month tenure leaves Southampton bottom of the league. The club is three points back of Bournemouth and four behind Leeds, Marsch’s former club. Marsch’s results at Elland Road displeased supporters, and a loss against Nottingham Forest was the last straw.

Now, Jesse Marsch could take on a new challenge. According to The Guardian, the southern club met with the American manager on Monday regarding the managerial position.

The report says that Southampton are fond of the pressing style that Jesse Marsch brought to the league. His tactics acquired at the Red Bull Group at Salzburg and Leipzig, which bore mixed results, kept Leeds in the Premier League last year. To be fair, it did have The Whites back in the relegation scrap this year.

Jesse Marsch potentially going to Southampton

Jesse Marsch to Southampton is certainly a gamble, just like it was for Leeds a season ago. For the latter it worked. Jesse Marsch did enough to keep Leeds up last year. Last season, he had four wins, five losses and three draws in his abbreviated season. That was enough to get Leeds from 18th to 17th on the final day.

However, this Southampton side is clearly the lesser of the two in comparison. When Marsch arrived at Elland Road, Leeds were on the cusp of survival. He just provided that extra push to the finish. This Southampton side have been by far the worst team in the Premier League this season, even before Nathan Jones’s arrival. Southampton have sat bottom since the return from the World Cup.

The club’s goals against is 40 after 22 games played. Marsch does not have a record of defensive capabilities, as Leeds’ was at 34 after 20 games played before the club sacked him.

For now, interim head coach Rubén Sellés is coaching the side. He is also in the running for a permanent coaching position with Southampton with Marsch.

Meanwhile, US Soccer Federation appears to be in waiting mode. Cindy Parlow Cone, president of US Soccer, says she hopes to name a new sporting director before the Women’s World Cup this summer. That, on its own, is five months away. The search for a head coach would then likely go beyond that.

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